I think James Franco will be great hosting SNL - he seems to have the right frame of mind and would probably be willing to be a little sillier. I think it's best when the hosts are more open to stepping outside their comfort zone and when the writers can see them as more than just the one role for which they're best known. I'm not sure what to think about Taylor Lautner as a host, but my first instinct was, "Um, what?" I don't follow Twilight so I don't know how his acting is, but I don't think he's ready for something like this yet. Then again, he could turn out to be surprisingly good. I didn't have high hopes for Taylor Swift as a host but she turned out to be one of the better ones so far this season.
Maybe I'm just clueless, but who cares about Michaele and Tareq Salahi? They snuck into a party. Big fuckin' whoop. The only thing that makes it remotely interesting is the fact that they somehow beat the Secret Service, but the idea they're going to sell their story (and presumably tell how they dodged security and got direct access to the president) seems like kind of a dick move. If there really is a hole in presidential security big enough to fit a fame whore through, maybe they should help fix it rather than swap the president's safety for a shot at a shitty reality TV show and a spot on Larry King. I'm sounding increasingly like an old woman, but people these days...no respect! Whatever happened to decency? Now, who would like a hard candy from the linty recesses of my handbag?
It bothers me (somewhat irrationally, I know) that Rihanna said, "I love food because I'm from Barbados."
She does realize that lots of other folks and cultures love food too, right? I don't know why, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. I think I remember she's been quoted other times ascribing lots of things about her to Barbados, so maybe that's just her thing.
@formergr: I get what she's saying. You are right, Barbados is a big part of her image, so she name-drops it a lot. But I just interpreted it as her personal explanation for where her love of food comes from. The rest of the quote was money, so I let it slide.
Am I the only one who has been disappointed with SNL's hosts this season? (James Franco & Muse episode, excluded). It seems like they've been catering to a younger demographic & just going with who's "hot" right now. There are so many people who are FAR more talented and proven than Blake Lively & Taylor Lautner who haven't been asked. It's getting ridiculous. This is the 35th season - you'd think they would be pulling some better people.
Also, it freaking KILLS me that an actor from Twilight was asked before one from HARRY POTTER!!! WTF SNL! The main 3 in HP crush their counterparts in Twilight (if you can even consider them counterparts... which, frankly, based on acting abilities alone, I don't!)
@marin79: hear hear
the acting in harry potter is 9574986y93475 times better than twilight. I was actually appalled by how bizarre twilight actually was - but I think that was a combination of the script, direction, and acting.
@alwaysapropos: If you find a good one, I'd love the doctor's name, because I feel the same way. They look like they're having a conversation. So cute! (And Heidi is just stunning without makeup)
@alwaysapropos: Oh...my God, that is an adorable baby. I know people say all babies are beautiful but they're just nuts. I saw one kid the other day, I swear to God I thought the parents had diapered the wrong end. This kid, though? OMG, teh cyute!
@ardentlilac: Hell, I will make donuts for her using my mom's super secret recipe (with nutmeg) and deep fat fry them, then dip them in sugar and cinnamon and see how she holds up.
Also: spaghetti. With big, fat, complicated meatballs.
@Ginmar Rienne: You'd probably have to pry her skinny lips apart. Meanwhile, mine have no problem chomping down on this slice of homemade pear and cranberry bread, mmmmm.
@ardentlilac: Homemade pear and---you suck! If I had home made banana bread, I'd wave it at you. I'm still hungover from one glass of wine. Gah, I'm a wimp.
@Ginmar Rienne: I think juicy fresh pears baked into a buttery, cinnamon scented batter studded with plump cranberries and organic walnut chunks would cure that hangover. Tralala.
The Salahi's are from Front Royal, VA - more than 70 miles from D.C. How does this qualify them for TRHWofDC? Front Royal is at most, an outer exurb in the D.C. area. Bravo must really be pulling the bottom of the barrel for this show. I'm sure they'll not have people from Prince Georges County, even though it's right on the D.C. line. Not bourgeois enough?
@curiousgeorgiana: But they don't work in DC. IMHO,Front Royal is stretching it when there are millions of people in the D.C. area. Maybe I'll feel better if they show true representation of people in the D.C area, but I somehow doubt it from everything I've read. It'll probably be mostly folks from Northern Virginia and maybe one or two from Maryland. We'll be lucky if there is anybody that actually lives in DC on this show.
Then again, maybe folks from the inner suburbs and DC itself don't want to be on a show like this!
@curiousgeorgiana: I dunno, I'm with WashingMyHair. Were any of the NYC housewives from CT or NJ? If not, then I think all the DC housewives need to be from DC. I'm a purist that way. Oh, and I've never watched the show, so I don't know why this bothers me so much, but really? FRONT ROYAL? Might as well be TRHWof West Virginia.
@dgibber: Yeah, I just figured the DC themed show would be DC Metro, which would include NOVA and parts of MD.
I just know so many "housewives" from that area, Front Royal, Delaplane etc. that are right up this show's alley. I figured they would be stretching the definition due to the large metro area.
@WashingMyHair: Actually, given that DC has such a huge black population, and that P.G. is the largest and richest majority-black county in the country, I think it's possible (not likely, but possible) that they'll have a PG resident on Real Housewives. Just like how New Jersey and Atlanta's people showcased those places' demographics.
DC is slightly different than the other Housewives locales - most people don't live within the city itself unless they have to, which would make them unlikely subjects for the show. My bet is we'll see plenty of Alexandrians, PG-ers, and... people from Bethesda, who don't have a name.
@ladyfalcon is skin deep: Actually, many people if the inner suburbs would like to live in the city these days, if they could afford to. It;s the people from the outer burbs that have preconceived fears about the city. Even what some consider "iffy" neighborhoods are very expensive by most standards. I also guarantee that you won't see too many PG'ers! Even if it's the richest AA county in the nation, it's still treated like the step-child of the metro area by other metro area citizens, retailers, etc. I HAVE NO DOUBT that Bravo may continue with that snubbery. Though there may be one housewife from Ft. Washington to round out the cast.....possibly.
Again, mark my words, there will be more people from NOVA (most likely not from Alexandria and Arlington), but more likely Fairfax and Ashburn-ish types of areas. Maybe I'll be wrong, but I bet the representation from Maryland will be more from Potomac or Rockville on out, probably not Bethesda or Chevy Chase citizens. Maybe one from DC itself.
I hope that all of my predictions on this are wrong though.
@szig: What gets me--and I know this is so grade school of me---is that they just flat out lie! She wasn't a cheerleader or a model or any of that shit....so...buh? Huh? That's lying! I feel like going all Sister Mary Margaret of Our Lady of Lowenbrau on them both. Don't make me whip out the ruler!
@rodmanstreet: He has made some real clunkers, but he was also in The Departed, The Aviator, State and Main, and The Sponge Bob Square Pants Movie. That should count for something, right?
@Sputnik_Sweetheart: And for God's sake, he's making a movie with Meryl Street, albeit a romantic comedy. The grown-up romantic comedies ideally are a little more seasoned and better than the typical Kate Hudson/Matthew McConaughey shit.
He has been in movies for twenty, thirty years, so if he's tired...I can understand.
@rodmanstreet: I don't know if it's been a failure, but it's been a disappointment, at least in terms of what people were predicting for him when he first hit the scene. He was expected to be a major star, but he just never really made it past the second tier.
@heykoukla: There's only so much space on the point of the pinnacle. Lots of interesting works happens in the base camps beneath, and that's where I think he's been.
@WashingMyHair: Julia Roberts has been a bona fide lead actress, and for a long time, her name could open films - Alec Baldwin has never been in that position. I think he's great, I've always liked him (and when I say always, I mean I remember him from when he was in Knots Landing!). When he first hit, it was expected he'd be as big as, say Harrison Ford. I'd still say he's a major star - we all know his name, right? But I would say, in strict Hollywood terms, he's no Julia Roberts.
@ardentlilac: I agree. I'm referring to his failure to live up to expectations that he would be a huge box office draw. As for making interesting films and being great in them, he's no failure in that respect.
@LazyHippo: Oh, clever point. Also not necessarily a movie-opening A list star, but has had a varied and fascinating career, with some great character turns.
@morninggloria: then again, hes also had ahmedinejad and the obamas in the recent past - I think he CAN get really great and interesting people, but his bookers are shit and go for the obvious choice (and ratings)
Re The Gatecrashers: There's an interesting article in the Guardian this weekend about how the public is getting sick of people trying to be celebrities for no reason. It'd be nice to hope their bid for 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' fails thanks to this new trend (if it really is one).
I've stopped reading newspapers on my commute because so little of the news seems to be news these days (or I skip the middle pages). I won't deny that I don't like reading up on stuff, because I wouldn't have clicked read this page if I didn't - but I do object to the media trying to feed it to me as a genuine headline, if that makes sense?
@zarahruth: No, it makes perfect sense. I enjoy gossip and fluff pieces, but I don't want outlets that claim to be serious news sources to be reporting on them prominently.
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She does realize that lots of other folks and cultures love food too, right? I don't know why, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. I think I remember she's been quoted other times ascribing lots of things about her to Barbados, so maybe that's just her thing.
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Also, it freaking KILLS me that an actor from Twilight was asked before one from HARRY POTTER!!! WTF SNL! The main 3 in HP crush their counterparts in Twilight (if you can even consider them counterparts... which, frankly, based on acting abilities alone, I don't!)
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the acting in harry potter is 9574986y93475 times better than twilight. I was actually appalled by how bizarre twilight actually was - but I think that was a combination of the script, direction, and acting.
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Also: spaghetti. With big, fat, complicated meatballs.
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Then again, maybe folks from the inner suburbs and DC itself don't want to be on a show like this!
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I just know so many "housewives" from that area, Front Royal, Delaplane etc. that are right up this show's alley. I figured they would be stretching the definition due to the large metro area.
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DC is slightly different than the other Housewives locales - most people don't live within the city itself unless they have to, which would make them unlikely subjects for the show. My bet is we'll see plenty of Alexandrians, PG-ers, and... people from Bethesda, who don't have a name.
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Again, mark my words, there will be more people from NOVA (most likely not from Alexandria and Arlington), but more likely Fairfax and Ashburn-ish types of areas. Maybe I'll be wrong, but I bet the representation from Maryland will be more from Potomac or Rockville on out, probably not Bethesda or Chevy Chase citizens. Maybe one from DC itself.
I hope that all of my predictions on this are wrong though.
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He has been in movies for twenty, thirty years, so if he's tired...I can understand.
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Not to say I don't love me Alec Baldwin.
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I've stopped reading newspapers on my commute because so little of the news seems to be news these days (or I skip the middle pages). I won't deny that I don't like reading up on stuff, because I wouldn't have clicked read this page if I didn't - but I do object to the media trying to feed it to me as a genuine headline, if that makes sense?
Anyway.:
[www.guardian.co.uk]
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